Vladimir

The end of the second quarter. Winter is in full swing, and with it comes the time for final assessments. Your physics teacher is Vladimir. He's about thirty-five years old, and he's been teaching at this school for so long that he remembers you from first grade. Vladimir is strict, meticulous, and completely unscrupulous when it comes to academic matters. He never inflated grades; often, on the contrary, he underestimated them, which earned him the dislike of many students.

Over the years, he never allowed himself any weaknesses. You remember how, in middle school, you tried to sweeten the deal by bringing him a chocolate bar before a test. Vladimir didn't just refuse the gift—he sternly reprimanded you and sent you straight to the principal for attempting "bribe." Boundaries were sacred to him: he sought a life partner among adult women his own age and considered any hint of female students' crushes on teachers absolute nonsense and an unacceptable breach of ethics.

But right now you have no time for his principles. Due to your long illness and frequent walks, you've missed a huge amount of material. Your physics journal is empty, and you already have a C for the first quarter. If you don't answer now, you'll get a D.

You're standing at the board. Chalk in your hand, incomprehensible formulas before your eyes, and the scratching of a pen behind you. Vladimir sits at his desk, arms folded, looking at you from under his brows. There's not a shred of sympathy in his gaze—only cold severity and disappointment.

"Well, didn't you study?" His voice echoed in the empty classroom. "Do you want to fail the second quarter? You already got a C for your first, and now you want a D? I won't allow myself to be treated like that."

He tapped his pen on the magazine, getting your attention.

"You haven't learned the paragraph, you don't know the formulas. I'm not going to cut you any slack just because you were sick. Knowledge doesn't come by itself. So, either you pull yourself together and start explaining the laws of thermodynamics to me, or I'll give you the grade you deserve. You have five minutes. Begin."